Type-writing machine.



No. 770,938. P ATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

v U. H. SHEPARD.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR, 17, 1899.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES. INVENTUE' 4M mlgcwc "Hi5 ATTORNEY No. 770,933. PATENTBD' SEPT. 2'7, 1904.

G. H. SHEPARD.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

v APPLICATION FILED APR.17, 1899. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a1 22 WITNESSES |NVENTDR.

[-55 ATTURJNEY UNITED STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. SHEPARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WYOKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT, OF ILION, NEW YORK, .A CORPORATION OF NEW* YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,933, dated September 27, 1904.

Application filed April 1'7, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAELEs H. SHEPARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-l/Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

A large class of type-writing machines employ a roller-platen the printing-point of which is at the under side thereof, the type striking upwardly. The platen-carriers are usually so mounted that they may be turned about a hinge or otherwise swung up to bring the printing-line into the view of the operator for inspection, correction, &c.; but when the platen is in normal position the line being printed or written is out of sight, and it often happens that the operator fails to note the extent of advancement of the paper, and

hence continues to writeor operate the keys after the bottom of the page has. passed the printing-point or passed out of controlof the pressure-roller, thus leading to loss of time and soiling of the platen, irregular printing, and much annoyance.

The main object of this invention is auto matically to lock or arrest the paper-feed at time such as will prevent the bottom edge of the paper from being fed to or beyond the printing-line or impression-point of the platen.

It is a further object to provide a mechanism which is adjustable, so as to arrest the paper-feed after a given number of step-bystep line-space movements of the platen have taken place. V

To these and other ends theinvention includes features of construction and combinations of devices hereafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of the upper part of a well-known form of typewriting machine in which the invention is embodied. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the platen Serial No. 713,289. (No model.)

and part of its carrier and accessories and showing the mechanism in plan and in looking position. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the left-hand end of the platen and left front corner of the platen-carrier and showing the same mechanism, but in a different position. Fig. t is avertical transverse section through the platen and showing the mechanism in section. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of different parts of the mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail View, partly in section, of a movable catching and releasing lever.

The same part will be found to be marked with the same numeral of reference in the various views.

1 indicates the top plate or type-ring of the ordinary Remington No. 6 type-writing machine; 2, risers or standards thereon for supporting carriage guide-rails 3; 4s, a carriage guided by the rails 3; 5, a platen-carrier connected to the carriage at and provided with a front roller 6, which runs upon a guide and shift rail 7 at the front of the top of the machine; 8, a platen fast upon a shaft 9, which is journaled in the carrier 5; 10, rear pressurerolls carried by arms 11, which are pivotally connected at 12 with a rear rod of the frame 5; 13, a slotted guide-plate through which the rollers project for coaction with the platen 8; 14, springs fast at 15 to the arms 11 and bearing at one end against ears or lugs (not shown) on the rear bar of the frame 5 and at their forward ends resting in rear of the plate 13 and tensioned to hold the rollers 10 against the platen 8; 16, the usual platen scale or pressure bar or aliner; 17 guide-fingers at the front of the platen-carriage and extending under the platen at the side margins of the sheet of paper; 18, pressure rolls passing through slots in the fingers 17 and adapted to press against the platen 8 or the substance thereon; 19, the usual line-space ratchet-wheel fast to the platen 8; 20, aline-space lever pivoted at 21 to an arm of the platen-carrier 5; 22, a line-space pawl pivoted at 23 to the linespace lever 20; 24, a pivoted line-space regulator provided with three faces for coaction with an arm of the pawl 22 to regulate the throw thereof; 25, a fixed stop for the pawl frame 5.

22 for limiting its forward or feeding motion, or that in which it turns the platen for feeding the paper for line-spacing; 26, a roller carried by a spring 27 and pressing against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19 and forming a detent therefor to prevent accidental displacement of the platen 8; 28, hard-rubber hand-wheels attached to the shaft 9 by metal sleeves 29 and screws 30; 31 and 32, metal disks secured to the wooden core or tube 33 of the platen 8 by screws 34 and provided with sleeves abutting against the end bars of the The disk 32 is shown as being integral with its sleeve 35, and the sleeve is secured to the shaft 9 by a set-screw 36, which engages with a threaded perforation in the sleeve and preferably enters a slight depression in the shaft 9 and is flush with or below the surface of the sleeve 35. The foregoing devices and others not herein shown are to be found in the machine commonly known as the Remington No. 6.

In that form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings there is provided a sleeve 37, loose on sleeve 35 and of a length to fit between the disk 32 and the frame 5 at the left-hand end of the platen 8,and that end of the sleeve adjacent the frame 5 is provided with a disk 38, having a series of equidistant notches 39 in its periphery and a lug or ear 40 on the inner side thereof. A part of the sleeve 37 is provided with a screw-thread 41, and the inner plain or non-threadedportion thereof is provided with a perforation 42 to permit of the insertion and removal of the screw 36. On the thread 41 is placed a threaded nut 43, provided with'an ear or lug 44, projecting outwardly beyond the face of the nut 43 toward the disk 38. The platen-disk 32 is provided with a rigid fork 45 of a length sufficient to embrace the lug or ear 44 in all positions of the latter axially of the platen, thus compelling the nut 43 to rotate with the platen at all times.

At the left-hand front corner of the platencarrier is attached or formed a block 46, provided with a hook 47 to engage under the rear flange of the frame 5 and locked in position on the said frame by means of a clamp 48, adapted to hook under the front edge of the frame 5 and held against the frame 5 and the block 46 by means of a screw 49, which is provided with a shoulder 50 for bearing against the clamp 48 and with a knurled head 51, whereby it may be turned, thus firmly securing the block 46 to the frame 5. A catch 52, shaped to coact with the notches 39 of the disk 38, is pivotally connected with the block 46 by means of a pin 53 and is provided with a knob 54, whereby the catch may be conveniently swung on its pivot. The eye or pivotal end of the catch 52 is provided with a flattened portion 55, against which a square-ended pin 56 is pressed by a spring 57 the pin and the spring resting in a socket in the block 46 and the pin bearing against the eye of the catch 52 at a point in front of the axis 53, the action of the spring being to hold the catch in engagement with the disk 38 whenever the catch is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8. When the catch is in the position of disuse, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 8,) the pin 56 rests against the circular part of the eye of the catch 52 and holds the catch in position merely by friction.

The legal-cap size of paper commonly used in type-writing machine work is eight inches wide by thirteen inches long, and the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19 are usually spaced apart at distances such that when the lines are written as closely together as the line-feed mechanism will permit thereare siX lines to the inch. This spacing would result when the face 24 of the line-space regulator is in position to coact with the pawl 22 to limit the return motion thereof toward the front of the machine. In the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the pawl 22 is in engagement with a face of the regulator 24, which permits the pawl to turn the platen 8 for a distance corresponding to two of the teeth of the wheel 19, and when the regulator 24 is turned to cause face 24 thereof to coact with the pawl 22 the pawl will turn the platen a distance corresponding to three of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19 before the pawl is arrested by the stop 25. In other words, the line-spacing mechanism is adapted to turn the platen as usual for either one, two, or three notches or teeth of the ratchet-wheel 19, as may be desired, according to the adjustment of the regulator 24. The eight by thirteen sheets above referred to may have seventyeight lines imprinted thereon at unit linespace distances apart; but it is customary to leave a top margin equivalent, say, to nine units of line-spacing and a bottom margin of, say, two units of line-spacing on such sheets when typewriting is done thereon. This leaves space for sixty-seven lines at unit distance apart or space for thirty-four lines atdouble-unit line-space apartto wit, that which would result from the position of the linespace regulator shown in Fig. 1or space for twenty-three lines of type-writing at trebleunit line-space distances apart, or that which would result from spacing the lines with the face 24 of the regulator in position to coact with the pawl 22. If the ratchet-wheel19 has thirty-six teeth, it results that one and IIO ten-twelfths turns thereof and of the platen,

wheel 19 be turned three. notches or teeth at a time, so as to obtain twenty-three lines to the page with the described margins, the wheel and platen will make one and tentwelfths revolutions in the operation.

One mode of operation of the mechanism is as follows: Assume that a sheet eight by thirteen inches is to be employed and that it is desired to leave a top margin equal to nine and a bottom margin equal to two units of line-spacing. The catch 52 is turned back to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the lugs 40 and 44 are brought together, as in Fig. 2-that is to say, they are brought in contact with each other, as by rotating the platen in the direction of its line-feed motion until the lug 44 comes in contact with the lug 40, the disk 38 being held against rotation at such time by hand. The platen and disk 38 are next turned with their said lugs in contact with each other until the notch of the disk which has the numeral 1 adjacent it is in a position where it would be engaged by the point of the latch 52 if it were'turned down. Then the platen and disk 38 are turned backward or in a direction the reverse of the direction of line-feed motion of the platen and until the notch of the disk 38 which is marked with the numeral 7 is in position where it would be engaged with the latch 52, the lugs 40 and 44 being in contact with each other, as above described. The turning back of the platen by either of its hand-wheels causes the disk to turn therewith (the latch 52 being out of engagement) by the frictional engagement between the sleeves 35 and 37. Then a sheet of paper is inserted and the platen turned forward for six unit-line-space intervals or two notches of the disk 38, thus bringing the notch thereof marked with the numeral 9 where it would be engaged by the latch 52 if it were turned down. This brings the top edge of the sheet of paper slightly past the edge of the platen-scale or alining-bar 16, and the paper is next .alined by bringing the top edge thereof into line with the said scale-bar. The platen is next turned forward for twelve line-space intervals, equivalent to four notches of disk 38, the lugs 40 and 44 keeping in contact with each other, thus bringing the notch of the disk 38 marked with the numeral' l into position, where it would be engaged by latch 52 if turned down. This also brings the tenth unit line-space on the paper to the impression-point. The platen is now held stationary in this initial position, while the disk 38 is given one and ten-twelfths revolutions forward or in line-space direction, thus bringing the notch 10 thereof under the latch 52, which is now engaged therewith. The turning forward of disk 38, as above described, causes the nut 43 to be run back toward the platen by the screw 41. The lengths of the lugs 40 and 44 are such that the end of the lug 4O clears the end of the lug 44 when the disk 38 has been rotated or turned forward independently about one complete revolution from the position thereof shown in Fig. 2, and the lugs are farther separated by the continued partial revolution of the disk 38, above described. The type-writing may now be proceeded with, as usual, and the lines may be spaced apart at one, two, or three units or combinations thereof, as desired or required, and the forward turning of the platen will be prevented and the line-feed arrested whenever the sixty-seventh line-space interval of the paper comes to the printing-point and it is attempted thereafter to turn the platen farther forward for line-spacing or other purposes, for the screw 41 will have moved the nut 43 toward the disk 38, and thus have brought the lug 44 into position to engage with the lug 40 and lock the platen against further rotation. Thus sixty-seven lines at unit distance, thirty-four lines at double-unit distance, and twenty-three lines at treble-unit distance may be written upon the eight-bythirteen sheet with a margin of nine units of line-spacing at the top and of two units at the bottom, and the platen will be locked against further rotation when the stated number of lines have been written or when the platen has been rotated the corresponding number of units of line-spacing. It is thus impossible accidentally to print or write off the sheet and also impossible unintentionallyto have more than the given number of lines upon the sheet.

After the page-lock has been operated by the rotation of the platen either by the pawland-ratchet mechanism or the hand-wheels and further forward rotation ofthe platen and paper is prevented the catch 52 is moved back to its position of disuse'and the platen is free to be rotated forwardly or in the direction of its line-feed movement, the lug 44 carrying lug 40, disk 38, and screw 41 around with it in such case. When it may be desired to use the machine without the page or sheet lock, the catch 52 is thrown back to the dotted-line position shown at Figs. 1 and 8.

While the disk 38 is shown as having twelve notches and the ratchet 19 is described as having thirty-six teeth, it is obvious that the disk may have more or less than twelve notches and the wheel 19 more or less than thirty-six teeth.

It is apparent that my invention may be used with paper of any length and that the lock ICC may be set to operate automatically at the of the latter by the line-feeding mechanism and that the locking operation may be set or timed to take place after any predetermined number of lines have passed the printingpoint, reckoning from any given point upon the page. The lockingmember His actuated during successive operations of the line-feeding mechanism by reason of the movement of the screw 41 relatively to the nut 43, or, in other words, said member 44: is moved gradually into locking position by the platen during its rotation by said line-feeding mechanism. The nut 4:3 is moved by the wheel 38 in one direction to predetermine the point at which the line-feeding mechanism shall be locked and is moved in the opposite direction to effect the locking of said feeding mechanism. The Wheel 38 is constructed to be rotated reversely to the line-feeding movement of the platen to adjust said nut, and said wheel is held stationary in its adjusted position by the pawl 52, which also performs the function of an index in connection with the numbers placed upon the wheel. The locking mechanism may be rendered inoperative at will by swinging the pawl out of engagement with the wheel, so that another line or two may be added at the bottom of the page or so as to dispense entirely with the operation of the lock when desired.

VVhileI have described my invention as applied to a Remington machine, I do not limit myself thereto nor to the precise form of the invention shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described, inasmuch as the embodiment of the invention may vary greatly from that herein shown without departing from the principle of the invention.

From one point of view the roller 8 is merely part of a mechanism for feeding paper for line-spacing, and for the purposes of this invention, broadly considered,the type might coact with some other part acting as a platen and not with the roller 8 in making impressions upon the paper, and yet the locking of the roller would still look the mechanism and the paper against line-feed motion.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a type-writing machinc, the combination with line-feed mechanism, of an automatic adjustable lock constructed to operate independently of the paper for preventing feed of the paper by said feed mechanism.

2. In a type-writing mechanism, the combination with a paper-feeding roller and mechanism for rotating the same, of an automatic variable mechanism for locking said roller against line-feed motion by said rotating mechanism, said locking mechanism being constructed to operate after any predetermined number of lines have passed the printing-point.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination with line-feed mechanism, of adjustable mechanism for automatically arresting the further feed of the paper by said line-feed mechanism, said arresting mechanism being constructed to operate when any predetermined line or part of the paper reaches the printingpoint.

4:. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a paper-feeding roller, of adjustable mechanism for automatically locking said roller against line-feed movement said locking mechanism being constructed to operate when any predetermined line or part of the paper reaches the printing-point.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a feeding-roller, line-spacing mechanism, and adjustable mechanism independent of the line-spacing mechanism for preventing turning of the feed-roller by the line-spacing mechanism, said adjustable mechanism being constructed to operate when any predetermined line or part of the paper has been reached.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen and a variable or adjustable lock for preventing the platen from turning more than a predetermined number of line-spaces from any given point upon the page.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a paper-feeding roller, of a relatively fixed stop, and an arm or lug connected to be moved into engagement therewith by and arresting the line-feed rotation of the roller.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a paper-feeding roller, of an adjustable relatively tiXed stop, and an arm or lug connected to be moved into engagement therewith by and arresting the line-feed rotation of the roller.

9. In a type-writing machine, a platen-actuated lock controlled independently of the paper for arresting the line-feed of the paper.

10. In atype-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen and a lock controlled directly by the rotation thereof for preventing line-feed of the paper for more than a predetermined number of line-spaces.

11. In a type-writing machine, a platen-ac tuated lock controlled independently of the paper for arresting the line-feed of the paper and provided with an adjustable element for varying the amount of line-space feed previous to the arrest or locking.

12. In a type-writingmachine, the combination of a rotatory platen, and a lock for arresting the line-feed of the paper and provided with a rotatory element adjustable to vary the amount of rotation of the platen.

13. In a type-writing machine, a platen-actuated lock controlled by the platen independvTOO ITO

platen and provided with a' rotatory element adjustable to vary the amount of rotation of the platen between the starting-point and the point of arrest of the line-feed.

15. In atype-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen and a lock operated thereby for arresting the line-feed of the paper and having relatively fixed and rotatory cooperating locking elements.

16. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen, an arm or lug connected with the platen to be rotated thereby, means for moving said arm or lug axially of the platen during the rotation thereof and for arresting said arm and platen when the platen has been rotated a predetermined amount or distance in line-feeding.

17. In atype-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a relatively fixed arm or lug, a second arm connected with the platen to move rotatively therewith, and means for moving the second arm axially of the platen into and out of position for coaction with the first-named arm to arrest and lock the platen against further line-space movement.

18. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen, a relatively fixed screw, a lug rigidly connected with the screw, a nut on said screw provided with a lug adapted to coact with the said relatively fixed lug, and a connection between the platen and the nut for causing the two to rotate together, whereby the platen is locked against line-feed motion when the movable lug strikes the fixed lug.

19. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a rotatory platen, a relatively fixed screw arranged axially thereof, a lug rigidly connected with the screw, a nut on said screw and provided with an arm to engage with said fixed lug, and a connection between the platen and the nut for causing the nut'to rotate with the platen in each direction.

20. In a type-writing machine, the combinaof a rotatory platen, an adjustable disk, a screw arranged axially of said platen, a lug rigidly connected with the disk, means for locking said disk in any one of a number of positions relative to its axis of motion, a nut on said screw provided with an arm for coaction with said lug, and connections between the platen and the nut for turning the nut with the platen, whereby the platen is locked against line-space movement when said arm and lug arrest the motion of said nut and whereby the amount of rotation of the platen in line-space movement may be varied by varying the position of the disk.

21. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a relatively fixed member, a rotatory member adapted to coact therewith and to be locked thereby against further progressive rotation, and a platen connected with said rotatory member and locked against line-feed motion by the said locking of said rotatory member.

tion of a paper-feed roller, a screw 41, a disk fast on said screw, a lug 40 on said disk, a nut .43 having a lug 44 thereon, means for. holding the disk relatively stationary, and a connection between the nut and roller.

24. In atype-writing machine, the combination of a paper-feed roller, a sleeve 37 loose on the shaft thereofand having an external screw-thread 41, a lug 4O rigidly connected with the sleeve, means for holding the sleeve relatively fixed, a nut on said screw 41, a lug 44 connected with the nut, and a connection between the roller and nut.

25. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a paper-feed roller, a sleeve 37 loose on the shaft thereof and having an external screw-thread 41, a notched disk 38 rigidly connected with the sleeve, a lug 40 on the disk, a detent for said notched disk, a nut on said screw 41, a lug 44 on the nut, and a fork engaging lug 44 and connected with said roller.

26. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a paper-feed roller, a sleeve 37 loose on the shaft thereof and having an external screw-thread 41, a notched disk 38 fast to said sleeve, a lug 40 on the disk, a pivoted catch 52 for coaction with the disk, a nut 43 having lug 44, and a forked arm 45 on the roller.

27. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a line-feed mechanism and a line-feed locking mechanism, the latter including a screw, a nut, and means for causing relative movement of the screw and nut during the line-feeding operation.

28. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a line-feed mechanism, a locking member, and means for actuating said locking member after any desired number of successive operations of the line-feed mechanism.

29. Ina type-writing machine, the combination of a line-feeding mechanism, and a looking member constructed to be moved into locking position by said line-feeding mechanism.

30. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a line-feeding mechanism, a platen, a lock, and means for gradually moving said lock to operative position during the rotation of the platen.

31. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a line-feeding mechanism and a looking member which is constructed and arranged to be moved in one direction to predetermine the point at which the line-feeding mechanism shall be locked, and be moved in an opposite direction to effect the locking of said'feed mechanism.

82. Inatype-writing machine, the combination of a line-feeding mechanism, an adjustable device, means for holding said adjustable device stationary, and a device constructed to cooperate with said stationary device to lock said line-feeding mechanism.

33. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a rotatable platen, aline-feeding mechanism, and a locking mechanism including a device which is constructed to be rotated reversely of the line-feeding movement of the platen, to predetermine the point at which the locking mechanism shall be effective. 

